Proportion of nursing beds in China's elderly care institutions almost 60 pct

BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- By the end of 2023, the proportion of nursing beds in elderly care institutions across China had risen to 58.9 percent, a report said on Tuesday.

This indicates that the country had achieved the target set in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) ahead of schedule.

The report was on Tuesday submitted by Lu Zhiyuan, minister of civil affairs, for review at an ongoing session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

According to the report, China has made significant progress in enhancing the capacity of elderly care institutions and improving home- and community-based care services for elderly individuals.

Since 2021, central government funding has supported the establishment of 303,600 nursing beds in the homes of elderly individuals who meet specific conditions, the report said.

During this period, 1.72 million homes of seniors with special difficulties were renovated to accommodate their needs, it added.

Official figures show China has nearly 300 million citizens aged 60 or above. This number is expected to top 400 million by 2033 and approach 500 million by around 2050, accounting for nearly 35 percent of the total population at that time.

Nearly 90 percent of elderly care institutions across China are now capable of providing medical and health care services for their senior residents, according to the report.

While delivering the report, Lu pledged to improve the social support system for incapacitated seniors through a range of initiatives, including those that would refine policies related to home-based elderly care, provide training for caregivers and advance the renovations of seniors' homes. ■